Grocery shopping can very quickly get out of hand.
One minute, you’re shopping for some milk and 30 seconds later you’re heading to the checkout with four packets of chocolate biscuits, a punnet of lychees and some tinned caviar “just in case”.
It’s not ideal – and can quickly eat into your weekly budget and savings.
Financial expert and creator of the Sugar Mumma YouTube channel Canna Campbell shared her best tips to reduce the cost of your weekly supermarket shop on the latest episode of I Don’t Know How She Does It.
Listen: How to cut the cost of your weekly grocery shop. Post continues after audio.
Not only are they simple AND effective, they’re also a sure fire way to prevent those impulse buys.
1.Shop online.
Anything that involves not leaving your sofa? Count us in.
“Doing your grocery bill online actually gives you a lot more control. When we’re in a supermarket, it’s not until we get to the checkout, we go ‘Uh! WOW, how did that add up’,” says Campbell.
“And it’s too awkward and we’re too time-poor to go, ‘I’m going to put a few things back’ as it’s all bagged up and ready to go.When you shop online, you can actually see ‘Wow, this is adding up. Maybe I won’t get that many punnets of organic blueberries’ and you can kind of cut it down, control how it’s all adding up.”
Top Comments
I don't know how people can do their shopping without a list, just the idea makes me anxious. But then I take after my mum, we love a list - shopping list, to do list, whatever!
Me too! Spreadsheets, handwritten lists, notebooks of list after list after list ... I thrive on it!
I put essentials on a list (toilet paper, cat food) and things we always use but have run out of (bread, onions, garlic, olive oil) but due to a strict budget i do all my meal plans in the shop. I am a pretty good cook with a huge knowledge of many different recipes, which really helps, so i find it's much cheaper to do it this way.
Supermarkets often have things half price so i buy those items and base our meals around them. Best way to save money on groceries is to know how to cook.
And grow herbs! Even if you have limited space herbs are easy to grow and can be done in pots. Fresh herbs make even a cheap boring ingredient so much tastier. I have a well stocked spice collection too, also cheap and pimps up food on the cheap!
Love me a good list!
I often have the things that I know I need on this list (milk, tea, crumpets etc), but I also know that I need food for dinner and stuff to take to work for lunch. That can all come under the heading of 'food', and I figure that out when I get to the supermarket and something that I see takes my fancy.